New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-10-14
Traitors TO ThEIR TRUST
DISHONEST JERSEY CITY OFFICIALS.

SOME ITEMS OF A BIG DEFALCATION IN THE JER-
sEY CITY BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS
s. w. Walden, the expert accountant who has been
amnng the books and of the Jersey City Board
of Public Works, submitted report last night to the
Board of Finance. lie finds that from 1sSl to 1856
inclusive there has been apparent steal of between
$4,000 and 10000 in the department OF extensions
ana distributions This department has charge OF laying
and repairing water pipe The Eel pert finds that pipe
has been purchased and paid for which has not been
laid and is hand; extravagant claims have been
paid for labor, especially in the months just before
election; tons OF lead have been furnished which could
possibly have been used in caulkins the pipe; and
claims have been paid for branches hydrans and water
gates which cannot be accounted for
Records were supposed kept OF the pipe received
ana distributed at the pipe yard but the records have
been destroyed. Mr. Walden obliged to obtain bis
Information Of the quantity OF pipe purchased from the
claims ordc red paid and OF the quantity ald from the
diagram books the Office of the chief engineer The
charter requires that all supplies In excess OF $500 must
be procured by contract but the custom for the
chief engineer and individual members OF the Board to
order carload OF pipe at a time, which would cost be-
tween Sl25 and $3.50, just enough to be under the
limit 1t often happened that four OF five requi
sitions would be given week. and thus the Board,
while seemingly complying with the charter, was
actually eyading f. When Mayor Cleveland went into
Office objected this method Of purchasing pipe but
the practice continued until he refused to sign the
warrants for payment
WHERE HAS ALL THE PIPE GONEf
,Nr Walden found that from lss1 ato 1856 there were
7Ol3 feet OF pipe purchased II 73 feet laid eav
ing BIDS feet unaccOunted for IL Is not IN the pipe
yard and official OF the department has any knowledge
where In l-s the Board purchased 36l 50 feet
and laid 2i23O feet The disproporuon between the
quantity purchased and laid not great I'm any other
year At the beginning Of 1851 Il ere large stock
pipe hand and that has all disappeared the ds-
creIaucy greater In the item OF laying and repairing
pipe remarkable discoveries were nide. III 1853
Il cost 50 lay pipe, and in 1856 ~ o. The
that year the cost only 10 Il cents foot. The
largest items for labor are in the months OF March and
April Just before the spring elections wheh tne mem
bers OF the Board elected The expert found IN many
cases that men OF the same name were .dFlhs pe II V m
part the city and repairing pipe III another part al
the same The fact l. that the majority OF these
devoted their entire attention to Lay Ing the KIND oi
pipe that Is laid by political heclers.
Lead was also purchased In magnificent quantities.
a@yrrc ns i bv T the eSert bounds of lead were ur
chased At cost OF ~:',i'O -; THIS Woui Sii"~ ~
amount lead required Is from To pound fol eael
out AID not than that quantity could be used, In
horses and trucks of and the horses hal scarcely
enough work TO keep them in exercise In the SIX years
,,lt, I'M ,fi,n 70 branches and other supplies.
IN l~-6 rs siNinch branches were pai LOT anu ON!
four used
Only SURPRISED IT WAS so WORSE
In closing report Nh Walden STATES that the books
an accounts aru confused state. and the ~ stem Of
bookkeeping and method OF Keeping accounts bad.
TIE report was discussed Dy the mcmbcs OF the Board
OF Finance. Nj Iarlcubcrg pleased that 1t WAS no
worse s auodut of the deficiency would not affect
the credit OF city. In hi- Op MON the members oI
the Board oi - olhS Hut tncr bonASineh should b" r.d
accoun'lb Commissioner Warren w,s dcnghtet 10
know tnat the dcH,ltncy does not reach rino,np or
-2ooopU. As hc ictrrl IL uii IL said i could be
proved that ol the pipe had been sold and the
none, pockctcl los somchoty. Tie members oI me
BOARD were unanimous III hc opinion that the report
could Toe made the basis OF apncl 10 the legislature
to abolish the Board of Works The report was referred
to special couu.ittcc. and M Walden was directed {"
ptlrsue MS iuS fisatloii- for two weeks longer.